Combination or permutation lock



April 15 T924.

A. VALENT; A COMBINATION 0R PERMUTATION 'LOCK original Filed Feb. 25,.-1921 L wvl:

Patented pr. l5, 1924.

. ,it E

ALESSANDR VALJEMTE, F LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSEGNOB OF ONE-HALF 'lO MICHAEL CURZN, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

COMBNTON 0R PERMTATION LOCK.y

Application filed February '25, 1921, Serial No. @$7,759. Renewed September 8, 1923. l

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that l, ArinssANDno VALnN'rn,

a subject of the King of italy, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in and Relating to Combination or Permutation Locks, of which the following is a specification.

p rlhe present invention relates to improvev ments in and relating to combination or permutation locks, i. e., locks having a series of notched rings or like which must be turned or moved until the various notches are in line, or, otherwise, in a certain predeten mined relationship, in order to enter or withdraw the bolt, or a locking device therefor,

and particularly to the type of such lock comprising a click re-setting or a re-setting by sound, whereby although the lock is set on anumber combination, no numbers appear on the movable parts and the arrangelment of these movable parts in the concerted order of thesetting must be ydone by the iinpact felt or heard while moving the parts to their `proper positions; thus making itk E@ very dii'cult to discover the combination, as even a careful listener will find it difficult to determine for one example how the total number of clicks which he hears is to be apportioned among the several rings or like.

8@ According to the present improvements a novel construction of lock giving the advantages of strength, security, and low manufacturing costs is realized. Further assemblage of the lock and after disassemblage andreassemblage of the movable rings or like, e. g., for changing the combination,`

ymay be easily `and quickly performed.

".lhe invention is more particularly illustrated in the accompanying drawing as applied to a pad-locktype of combination lock.

l ln the drawings Fig-` l isa longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section.

lllig. 3 a longitudinalsection of a modified form of bolt.

F ig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modied form of lock. i

Fig. 5 is a detail variant.

Figs. l to 8 illustrate a form of lock whose bolt a` is surrounded by several rings b, Za', etc., having notches c through which a set of studs d, d', etc., on the bolt c must pass before the lock canbe opened, and in such a form of lock, the present invention may be conveniently and advantageously carried out aS. follows A lock or frame component e of oblong shape and consisting of a single or one piece key-like clefts permit the insertion and withdrawgal of the rotating discsk in a direction lying in the plane of the Aframe component yand permitting the discs to project beyond opposite sides of the frame component. The lock or frame component e is bored or passaged longitudinally or -at right angles to the clefts f, y, etc., for the reception of the bolt a aforesaid, the bolt when shot catching in some kind of bow or staple ,as h which enters the lock by way of one or more cross bores t, i', therein, so that the bolt a shall catch into a recess k, in or pass `through a hole in the bow or staple h within the lock itself. W ith a recess as h the corresponding leg of the bow or staple h serves to close the bolt passage at the locking place and guard the bolt a.

ln .recesses y', j', etc., at the bottom of the clefts f, f', etc., spring urged pins or balls or like is, lo', etc., are arranged to bear against the peripheries of the rotating discs l), b', etc., and these peripheries are scalloped or provided with a series or" elevations and depressions Z so that the balls c, c, etc., or other locking members, snap into the depressions Z as the discs b, b', etc.7 are rotated and Lgive an impact which may be both heard and felt. f

Complete separation of the bolt when un-` locking may be prevented by a cross pin or stop 'face m in the lock or frame component e and a cooperating shoulder for example the lug d3 on the bolt c.

Fory assembling the lock, the bolt a is inserted finger hold end a first' and passed successively through the discs properly *po-v sitioned in the clefts for admitting the bolt, the discs being preferably `arranged so that all rotate in the like direction to zero position rand in the like reverse direction to releasing position. `After fastening the lock, the discs are turned haphazard.

A lock substantially as above described by way of examplemay be constructed of very few parts and the lock or Jframe component itself, it will be noted, consists as shewn of a single or one piece block unit formed with transverse clefts for the reception of the discs or like, recesses at the bottom of the clefts for the reception of spring urged members, a bolt passage at right angles to'the clets and a cross passage or passages for the reception of a bow or staple like component or equivalent, or some other locking member.

The recesses j, j etc., are so arranged that the spring urged members are prevented romdropping out through the clei'`ts when the discs are removed. For this purpose, the recesses j, j, etc., are made so as to accommodate spring urged members which while projecting somewhat into the clefts are retained in the recesses by shoulders o, 0', etc., the recesses being formed for example b drilling from points outside of the loc component and opposite to the clefts. After inserting the click members and the springs p, p', etc., the outer portions of the recesses are tilled with appropriate plugs lw which put'the desired pressure on the springs.

For reference to a datum or zero position for establishing the combination each of the rotating discs has a notch r capable when rotated in one direction of locking against the corresponding spring urged pin or like.

.From this zero position all discs may be rotated in turn in the other direction the correct number'of steps, each step in advance being indicated by the sound or impact of the click action.

The power of varying the combination may be given, For example, as shewn in Fig. 3, the lugs d, d', etc., of the bolt a may be on collars or sleeves s, s', etc., fitted over Vthe bolt a and' end clamped to definite position such as by the head of a screw t. By releasing the clamp any collar or sleeve may be adjusted or set to conform the lug thereon to another setting number of the corre- Y sponding disc.

Otherwise as in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the bolt a may be withdrawn by sliding it in the direction of the arrow the discs may be re-arranged in another order, or other discs ditferently notched substituted therefor. A selection of discs having been made from a given set of discs, thenumbers of the discs in use in the lock can be foundby reference to the remaining discs in case the opening combination is forgotten.

In Fig. 4, the invention is'illustrated in an application suited for locking the mouth of a bag or for other like or similar purpose. The lock or frame component e and bolt component a and allied parts are generally similar to the components c and a of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1. On the one hand the frame component is modiiied for appropriate attachment to the bag frame or other part 3 to be -fastened and for the reception of one or more catches 4, 4 adapted to be pressed out to engage eyes 5, 5 on the companion bag part or other part to be fastened. On the other hand the bolt component a is modified by the provision oi' one or more notches or recesses 6,' 6 to allow, in its releasing position, the catches 4, 4 to be withdrawn. As shewn the catches 4, 4 may be self-acting for release, and bolt operated for locking.

The finger hold a may be replaced by a detachable flange 8 (Fig. 5) capable in the locking position of the bolt component of lying in a recess 9 of the'frame component under the pressure of an interposed spring 10 by which the bolt is automatically unlocked when freed for passage through'the discs.

l. In alock, a casing, a shackle, a locking bolt slidable axially and insertable intoV the casing in releasing direction with means cooperating With the shackle to hold the bolt, a plurality of lugs carried bythe lockin bolt, a corresponding number of serrated permutation elements concentrically and rotatably carried directly upon said locking bolt so that the permutation elements may be removed when the bolt is withdrawn, said elements having notches acting when brought into alignment with the lugs to permit movement of the locking bolt in releasing direction, and a series of spring pressed catches engaging the elements to permit permutative and relative adustment of the latter.

2. In a lock, a casing having a passage and a lateral communicative channel sto ping short of the end of the passage, a loc ing bolt slidably held in the passage, lugs carried by the bolt and movable in the channel and by engagement of the end Wall of the latter limiting degree of insertion of the bolt, a shackle pivoted to the casing and engageable over the end of the bolt subsequent to its insertion to prevent dislodgment of the latter and a series of permutation elements having notches'and adapted to hold the bolt andto release the samewhen the notches are aligned with the lugs.

3. In a lock, a casing having a series of Ykerfs communicating with lateral recesses of h elements to hold or release the locking 4. In a lock, a series of permutation elements each having a notch, a lock bolt, a plurality of Washers strung on the bolt for relative rotation, a lug carried by each washer, a screw entering the end of the bolt to tighten the Washers against rotation subsequent to adjustment, and a shackle cooperating with the bolt andy releasable when the notches are aligned with the lugs.

5. In a lock, a casing having a continuous bolt passage, a locking bolt itted therein and slidable axially, a U-shaped shackle having its terminals directed normally with respect to the bolt and one leg fitted in the casing subsequent to the insertion of the bolt to close the passage and prevent withdrawal of the bolt, means to prevent complete withdrawal of the bolt in inserting direction, the said leg of the shackle having a recess receiving the end of the bolt to lock the shackle, and means to lock the bolt against Withdrawal movement.

6. In a lock including a casing having a continuous passage, a bolt inserted into one end of the passage to extend partially beyond the other end, means at the protruding end to prevent further extension of the bolt, a shackle fitted in the casing to intersect the entering end of the passage to prevent reverse Withdrawal of the bolt,/and a locking means controlling action of the bolt.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature.

ALESSANDRO VALENTE. 

